Monday, July 30, 2012

COMING SOON - Chicago production of Bertolt Brecht BY THE EPIC PLAYERS OF CHICAGO.

“Fear and
Misery of the Third Reich,” was written by world-renowned literary genius, German
playwright, poet, and theatrical reformer Bertolt Brecht and translated by John
Willet.This documentary play presents a
sequence of realistic scenes showing how ordinary life under Nazi Germany was
subtly permeated by suspicion and anxiety. The scenes, which do notnecessarily play out in chronological order
but are rather knit together thematically, play like frames in a film running
through Nazis’ years capturing a panorama of social breakdown, deception,
betrayal, disaffection, disaffiliation and flight. Brecht’s harshly satirical take on Nazi Germany is
a well balanced mix of humor and tragedy thatshows how thought and action can become paralyzed in a fascist
state, and it urges the audience to learn and experience from their history.

About the Epic
Players of Chicago (www.epicplayers.com): The Epic
Players of Chicago is a non-profit, culturally diverse, non-biased, and
non-religious group of theatre lovers dedicated to the aesthetic and scientific
nature of the theatre. As such, its talented members are driven merely by their
passion and love for theatre and the arts. With this love, they selflessly
sacrifice time away from their own lives, jobs, and responsibilities.With
your support, the Epic Players will have a chance to share this unprecedented
theatrical and historical experience with a much larger audience.

It is such a refreshing to see Caramel a Lebanese movie by Nadine Labaki about human's daily life rather than watching a movie with lots of violence and false heroism!Caramel
"A Beirut beauty Salon becomes a treasures meeting place for several generations of women, from various walks of life, to talk, seek advice and confide in one another. "

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Onion: "Americans across the nation confirmed today that, unfortunately, due to
their extreme familiarity with the type of tragedy that occurred in a
Colorado movie theater last night, they sadly know exactly how the
events following the horrific shooting of 12 people will unfold."

The Trumpet: "But why is it that among all the verbiage and the sincere yearning for
some sort of answer, no one can answer the one question we all have: Why did this happen?"

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Listen to Jacques Brel's Mai 1940
In this song, Brel describes the invasion of Belgium by Germany in May of 1940 when he was eleven years old.
.........
When War Arrived
I discovered refugees
It's a peasant wondering homeless
And the women were clinging to their children
.....

Friday, July 20, 2012

Every time a violent incident happens, Riane Eisler's book "Tomorrow's Children" resonates in my mind. Some call it mental health problem, but it's beyond individuality. It's a compile of many things which culminates in tragedies.

In the prologue of her book, Riane Eisler states:

"Today, young people often feel powerless to change the course of their lives, much less the course of the world around them. Many become immersed in the me-firstism and overmaterialism that permeates much of our mass culture, futilely seeking meaning and belonging in the latest fad or commercial offering. Some bury their pain and anger in drugs, gangs, and other destructive activities, unconscious and seemingly uncaring of the effect their actions have on themselves and others. A number become violent, under the thrall of hate-Mongering or religious fanaticism, or simply because of our video games, television, ads, and movies make violence seen normal and even fun."

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Invasion is a tornado of words, images and ideas, all
centered around a magical name: Abulkasem. The play assaults our deepest
prejudices about identity, race and language. At once hilarious,
disturbing and poignant, this deeply subversive play deconstructs a
threatening identity – the Arabic male – and forces us to confront our
own cultural identity.

JONAS HASSEN KHEMIRI (Playwright) was born in Sweden in 1978, is the author of two novels and one collection of plays and short stories. His first novel, One Eye Red, received the Boras Tidning award for best literary debut. His second novel, Montecore,
won several literary awards including the Swedish Radio Award for best
novel of the year. Khemiri has also received the PO Enquist Literary
Prize for the most promising young European writer. He currently divides
his time between Stockholm and Berlin.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Woman I can hardly express
My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness
After all I'm forever in your debt
And woman I will try to express
My inner feelings and thankfulness
For showing me the meaning of success

Woman I know you understand
The little child inside of the man
Please remember my life is in your hands
And woman hold me close to your heart
However distant don't keep us apart
After all it is written in the stars

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Mother by John Lenon. This is a cry of so many children in today's world.
Lenon says: "....and a lot of people thought it's just about my parents. But it's about 99% of the parents alive or half dead..."

Mother, you had me but I never had you,
I wanted you but you didn't want me,
So I got to tell you,
Goodbye, goodbye.
Farther, you left me but I never left you,
I needed you but you didn't need me,
So I got to tell you,
Goodbye, goodbye.
Children, don't do what I have done,
I couldn't walk and I tried to run,
So I got to tell you,
Goodbye, goodbye.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
Mama don't go,
Daddy come home.
.........................

And Quiet Flows the Don is indeed one of the greatest novels of all time!
Mikhail Sholokhov vividly captures the heart of the reader as tells the story of war and people. He draws the reader into whirlpool of the First World War, the
Russian Revolution and Civil War.Watch a Russian version film made in 1956. Here is the Love Scene...
And the new version directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, the Russian director, made in 2006